Field hockey: P'burg 'pumped' to end title drought

The long wait for Phillipsburg's field hockey program is finally over, but the Stateliners are out to prove this won't a short stay at the top.

P'burg, which entered the postseason as a No. 9 seed, secured its first sectional title since 1999 with a 2-0 win over Middletown South on Tuesday afternoon in the North Group 4 final. The 'Liners (13-9) are set to play for their first state championship since '99 as they'll take on powerhouse Eastern -- a 9-3 winner over Kingsway in the South final -- at 4 p.m. on Saturday in the Group 4 title game at Bordentown Regional High School.

Joining P'burg, which received the customary firetruck escort and celebratory parade back into town, in Bordentown will be North Hunterdon, which won its first sectional title since 1993 with a 3-0 win over Randolph in the North Group 3 final. A third Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex area team, Lenape Valley, fell short in a 3-0 loss to Shore Regional in the North Group 1 title game.

P'burg celebrates the program's fifth sectional title.

"We're just so happy to be here," said fifth-year coach Toni Popinko, who won two sectional titles as a player for Warren Hills in 2007 and '09. "[Playing in the Group 4 final] will be a good indication of where are program is going."

Eastern, which is one of the top teams in the nation and No. 1 in New Jersey, ended Phillipsburg's run for the Group 4 state championship in 1999, which started the Vikings' remarkable run of 21 straight titles (there was no state tournament in 2020 due to the pandemic). 

"It's an honor just to be on the field with them," said Popinko, whose final game for Warren Hills was a heartbreaking 2-1 loss in overtime to Ocean City in the Group 3 final at Toms River East. "People will be surprised by how we'll play. It's going to be a dogfight. This is not a fluke. We're going to be competing for awhile."

Phillipsburg, which lost to Shawnee in its only other state finals appearance in 1998, had to hit the road for the third time this postseason and for the 10th time in 14 games to bring home the trophy. Senior Lena Lopes, who logged a goal and an assist, opened the scoring against Middletown South (17-5), which was seeking its fifth sectional championship and second in three years, off a feed from junior forward Samantha Helman, her team-leading ninth of the season.

"[Lena] and her sister [Emilia] have really good chemistry," Popinko said of the two defenders. "They're very composed and play well off each other."

Senior midfielder Madison Darmstadt, a Stonehill College commit, capped the scoring with an assist by Lena Lopes and junior goalie Beth Kelly recorded the defense's eighth shutout.

P'burg, which has won four in a row and eight of its last 10 games, cleared a major hurdle to secure its first sectional finals berth since 2010, with a 4-3 win over Montclair in Friday's semifinal round -- the program's first victory against the Mounties since 2009. Montclair had previously ended the Stateliners' seasons with sectional wins in 2011, '16 and '19.

"We [as coaches] knew Montclair was going to be a tough game," Popinko said. "The girls didn't need to know that. We kept it low-key and under wraps so they could just go out and play. We told them [after the Middletown South game] that they'll be playing in the state final and they were so pumped."

Popinko, who became the head coach in 2017 after being on staff for several years as an assistant, said the biggest challenge for the program was building a winning culture (P'burg went 65-108-9 from 2011-19). That began with getting players to make an offseason commitment.  

"We had zero girls who played club and there's only so much you can do playing two months in a year," said Popinko, whose 2019 team won just four games. "We now have 16 playing in the offseason. They realized if you put the time in it pays off."

State finals schedule

Non-Public

Oak Knoll (20-3) vs. Camden Catholic (21-2), 10 a.m.

Group 2

West Essex (21-2) vs. Seneca (16-6-1), noon

Group 3

North Hunterdon (20-1) vs. Moorestown (13-6-1), 2 p.m.

Group 4

Phillipsburg (13-9) vs. Eastern (22-2), 4 p.m.

Group 1

Shore Regional (24-1) vs. Woodstown (19-3), 6 p.m.

Tournament of Champions

Monday

Play-in game 

TBD at higher seed

Wednesday, Nov. 17

Semifinals

TBD at higher seed

Friday, Nov. 19

Championship at Kean University

TBD

Field hockey: North hoists trophy after 'amazing' run

North Hunterdon's field hockey team has been building for this moment all season, and really since the program's turnaround campaign three years ago.

The Lions secured the school's third sectional title and first since 1993 with a dominating 3-0 win over Randolph on Tuesday afternoon in the North Group 3 final at Singley Field. 

North Hunterdon finished 11-0 at home in 2021.

North Hunterdon (20-1), which has won 12 in a row since a 4-3 loss in overtime at Pingry on Oct. 5, is set to compete for the program's first state championship against Moorestown -- a 2-0 winner over Ocean City in the South final -- in the Group 3 title game at 2 p.m. on Saturday at Bordentown Regional High School.

"It feels amazing. We've been fighting for this [sectional] trophy for the past two years," said junior forward Lauren Masters, who was a freshman phenom on the 2019 team that came up short in a 2-1 loss to Hunterdon Central in the North 2, Group 4 sectional final, North's first finals appearance since winning it all in '93.

"I'm happy we finally won it."

The Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex area went 2-for-3 in sectional finals as Phillipsburg won its first since 1999 with a 2-0 win over Middletown South in North Group 4. The Stateliners will play for its first state championship against perennial Group 4 champion Eastern at 4 p.m. on Saturday. Lenape Valley came up short in a 3-0 loss to Shore Regional in the North Group 1 final.

"I'm really pumped for the girls. They put a lot of work in," said first-year North coach Geoff Chrisman, whose team ranks second on the school's single-season wins list (Lions won 22 in 1986). "Each one of these wins helps up be better for the next game."

Masters added another milestone to a lengthy list as North's all-time leading scorer logged her 100th and 101st career goals in the win over No. 3 seed Randolph (18-4-1), which knocked off No. 2 seed Warren Hills in the semifinals and was seeking its first sectional title since 2009.

With North nursing a 1-0 lead on a second-quarter goal by junior Sara Roberts, Masters connected for her team-leading 44th goal with about one minute left on the clock in the third quarter. The Louisville commit all but iced the title at about the 14-minute mark in the fourth quarter, connecting for her 45th goal of the year and upping her career points total to a program-best 240.

"I'm so happy [to go over 100 goals). I couldn't do it without my teammates," Masters said. "They're so supportive and we work so well together."  

Senior forward Ryan Anderson logged her team-best 22nd assists and raising her career total to 72, another school mark.

Roberts' goal, her career-high 15th of the season and third in four postseason wins, set the tone and broke a scoreless tie with about minute left before halftime. The importance of going into the break with a lead after coming up short on 13 penalty corner attempts was not lost on North.

"She flicked it in and didn't even know she scored," Masters said. "We started going crazy. I was so happy for her."

North won its only other titles in 1986 and '93.

"[Roberts' goal] let everyone relax just enough to get back to playing our game," said Chrisman, whose team logged 39 shots-on-goal and finished with a 19-1 edge on corners.

In order to fully appreciate this title run, consider that North Hunterdon went 22-140-6 in the nine years leading up to a 15-8 season in 2019 -- the program's first winning campaign since going 12-9 in 2009. This senior group went 4-14 in 2018, before Masters arrived the following season to form a balanced and potent offense. Over the last three years, North is 46-12, going 11-0 at home this season.

With Skyland Conference Raritan Division, Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament and sectional titles secured, North shifts its focus to another crack at history on Saturday.

"We need to come out with a good mindset and play our game," Masters said. "That's all we can ask for."

State finals schedule

Non-Public

Oak Knoll (20-3) vs. Camden Catholic (21-2), 10 a.m.

Group 2

West Essex (21-2) vs. Seneca (16-6-1), noon

Group 3

North Hunterdon (20-1) vs. Moorestown (13-6-1), 2 p.m.

Group 4

Phillipsburg (13-9) vs. Eastern (22-2), 4 p.m.

Group 1

Shore Regional (24-1) vs. Woodstown (19-3), 6 p.m.

Tournament of Champions

Monday

Play-in game 

TBD at higher seed

Wednesday, Nov. 17

Semifinals

TBD at higher seed

Friday, Nov. 19

Championship at Kean University

TBD

Field hockey: NH maintains 'focus' on title business

North Hunterdon's field hockey team has added numerous chapters to program history for the past three seasons.

But according to first-year coach Geoff Chrisman, the Lions haven't dwelled on the fact that North has not won a sectional title since 1993, even now as they're one win away from ending that 27-year postseason drought.

NH's championship banner.

"We went into the gym once to show them the banner [listing the school's sectional title years in 1986 and '93]," said Chrisman, whose team will host Randolph in the North Group 3 championship game at 2 p.m. on Tuesday at Singley Field. "They were like, 'OK, we have a game tomorrow.'"

North Hunterdon (19-1), which captured the Skyland Conference Raritan Division championship and its first Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament title, has been all business during one of the program's best seasons. Two years ago, the Lions came up short in a 2-1 loss to Hunterdon Central at home in the North 2, Group 4 sectional final -- the program's first title game appearance since '93.

"We've just been focused on one game a time and not looking two, three games ahead," said senior forward Ryan Anderson, who has logged a career-best 33 goals this season. "It helps us focus on the game we're going into."

Moorestown and Ocean City, which have combined to win 45 sectional championships, will battle in the other final on Tuesday. The North and South winners meet in the Group 3 state title game at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 13 at Bordentown Regional High School. 

Randolph, which won sectional titles in 1994 and 2009, spoiled a much-anticipated fourth meeting between North and Warren Hills, which saw its run of nine straight sectional/regional titles end with a 4-1 loss at home to the Rams in the semifinals. The Lions went 3-0 against the Blue Streaks this season for the first time in series history, including a 5-0 victory in the last matchup on Oct. 21.

"It would have been fun," Chrisman said. "Playing anyone four times would have made me really nervous. We don't have any common opponents [other than Warren Hills] with Randolph. We won't know what to expect fully until about three minutes on the field."

NH celebrates its first HWS Tournament title.

After a slow start against Summit (a 4-0 win in the quarterfinals) during this postseason run, No. 1 seed North, which has won 11 straight since a 4-3 loss in overtime to Pingry on Oct. 5, cruised to a 12-3 win over No. 5 Lawrence in Friday's semifinals. Leading the way, as was the case in 2019, to another finals appearance is the Lions' speedy 1-2 punch of junior Lauren Masters and Anderson, who have combined for 76 of the team's 143 goals.

Masters, a Louisville commit, owns program records for career goals (99) and points (236), and her 43 goals this season surpassed the previous mark held by Beth Gromlowicz (35 in 1986). Masters scored a career-best six goals in a 16-0 win over West Windsor North in a first-round game and she has logged 11 goals in the team's three sectional wins.

Anderson, whose father, Tim, won two sectional titles as a star wrestler at North and placed fourth in the state at 158 pounds in 1984, is perhaps the Lions' best all-around player. An assists machine, Ryan has logged a team-high 21 and holds the program's career mark with 71, including a single-season record of 26 in 2019. She enters the sectional final with 193 career points.

"I'm looking forward to it," said Anderson, who has decided to end her playing career after high school but is planning to attend college at a to-be-determined school in Arizona. "We said freshman year that our senior season would be the year. Now it's finally come and it's mind-blowing that it's actually happening for us. It's surreal."

Ava Laible

But the offense doesn't stop with those two outstanding players. Seniors Olivia Reeder (nine goals, 13 assists), Ava Laible (13 goals, nine assists) and Katie Roberts (10 goals, nine assists), along with junior Sara Roberts (14 goals, 10 assists) all present problems for opposing defenses. Laible was the MVP in North's HWS Tournament title game win over Warren Hills, and sophomore Molly Claus, who figures to be a big part of the offense in 2022, has chipped in with five goals, including one in the postseason against Summit, and six assists.

"Everyone can score this season, not just one person," said Anderson, who needs three goals to own second place on the school's all-time list. "It makes us more competitive as a team."

"I'm very lucky as a coach to have so many girls who can put the ball in the cage," said Chrisman, whose team has outscored its three previous sectional opponents, 32-3. "Sometimes, they're a little too unselfish and we have to tell them to take shots. Everyone is happy when the other girls do well."

North is expecting a big crowd for Tuesday's contest as it continues the ultimate mission of winning a state championship. The 1986 and '93 teams did not get that opportunity after losses in the state semifinals.

"The students have really embraced it," Chrisman said. "We've had a few hundred people every game, which is nice." 

Sectional and state schedule

Tuesday, Nov. 9

Public sectional finals 

Group 4

Phillipsburg (12-9) at Middletown South (17-4), 2 p.m.

Eastern (21-2) at Kingsway (19-2)

Group 3

Randolph (18-3-1) at North Hunterdon (19-1), 2 p.m.

Moorestown (12-6-1) at Ocean City (20-2)

Group 2

West Morris (13-7-1) at West Essex (20-2)

Seneca (15-6-1) at Haddon Heights (22-0)

Group 1

Lenape Valley (17-3-1) at Shore Regional (23-1), 3 p.m.

Collingswood (13-6-2) at Woodstown (18-3)

Wednesday, Nov. 10

Non-Public sectional finals

North

Kent Place (18-3) vs. Oak Knoll (19-3)

South

Bishop Eustace (16-6) at Camden Catholic (20-2)

Saturday, Nov. 13

State finals at Bordentown 

Non-Public, 10 a.m.

Group 2, noon

Group 3, 2 p.m.

Group 4, 4 p.m.

Group 1, 6 p.m.

Field hockey: Lenape Valley continues 'exciting' run

If you're looking for a common denominator when it comes to field hockey success at Lenape Valley, it just may rest with second-year head coach Isabelle Becker.

As a former standout player, Becker was a starting midfielder for the Patriots when they made back-to-back North 1, Group 1 sectional semifinals appearances in 2013-14. Upon her return last year, Lenape finished 9-2-2 in the pandemic-shortened season and reached the Northwest A regional semis -- falling 2-0 to eventual champion Pequannock.

Lenape Valley won its only titles in 1978 and '90.

Now, the Patriots (17-3-1) sit one win away from securing the program's first sectional title since 1990, as they prepare to take on state powerhouse Shore Regional at 3 p.m. on Tuesday in the North 1 championship game in West Long Branch.

"It's a great accomplishment as a team," said Becker, who inherited a program that produced only one winning season (12-5-1 in 2018) since her senior year in 2014 and just three overall (15-6-1 in 2013 and 14-6 in '14) since 2009. "It's very exciting. We're thankful to still be playing games."

Collingswood faces Woodstown in the other Group 1 sectional final. The North and South winners meet for the state championship on Saturday, Nov. 13 at Bordentown Regional High School. No Lenape Valley team has played for a state championship, falling to Butler and Madison in the 1978 and '90 Group 2 semifinals.

Lenape Valley is among three Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex area schools seeking sectional titles as North Hunterdon (North Group 3) and Phillipsburg (North Group 4) will also look to make program history.

North Hunterdon (19-1) hasn't won a sectional championship since 1993, while P'burg (12-9) eyes its first since 1999. Lenape's title task is a bit more daunting as Becker's team, a No. 6 seed that advanced with a 3-2 win in overtime against No. 2 Pompton Lakes, rates a decided underdog against one of the top programs in New Jersey history. 

Shore (23-1) has won 27 sectional/regional titles, including three in a row. Only West Essex (38), Eastern and Moorestown (28) have won more.

"They have an incredible record," Becker said of Shore, which has won a staggering 16 state titles in Group 1, going back-to-back in 2018 and '19. "They've scored almost 100 more goals [147-53] than we have, but on any given day, any team is beatable. We've experienced it."

Becker's ties at Lenape Valley run deep, even among her current players. The second-leading scorer on the 2013 team was forward Alyssa Falleni, whose sister, Angie, is a senior forward and one of the leading scorers on this year's squad with 13 goals and eight assists. Their father, Dave Falleni, is a former wrestler for the Patriots and he has served as the head wrestling coach at Jefferson and the athletic director at Mount Olive.

"Their mindsets are very similar. They're both positive and upbeat," Becker said of the Falleni sisters.

In addition to Angie Falleni (35 goals, 19 assists, 89 points in her career), one of 10 seniors on the Pats' roster, junior Katie Giusti (11 goals), sophomore Mia Vergano (nine goals, four assists) and senior Olivia Fehir (three goals) round out the forward line, while seniors Dara Pellinger (four goals, six assists) and Quinn Dachisen (four goals, four assists) anchor the midfield. 

Sophomore midfielder/back Ella Gomez logged two goals, including the game-winner in overtime against Pompton Lakes in the sectional semifinals.

Leading a staunch defense is sophomore goalie Abby Coppolella, who is among the area leaders with 12 shutouts and has yielded just five goals (17 total in 21 games) during the Patriots' seven-game win streak following a tough 1-0 loss to Newton on Oct. 15. Lenape has won 14 of its last 16, with the only other loss coming against North Hunterdon, 7-0, in the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament semifinals on Oct. 9.

"Abby is very coachable and very determined to get better," said Becker, whose assistant coach is former High Point standout Rachel Orr, who helped the Wildcats win 54 straight division games and three NJAC American Division titles from 2011-13.

After stepping into a very tough situation a year ago in the midst of a pandemic and not knowing much about her team, Becker, who is just a few years older than most of her players, has Lenape Valley on the doorstep to history.

"I really didn't know what to expect," said Becker, who said her intensity on the sidelines is something she took from former Patriots coach Kate Rothman, who left after the 2014 season and guided Warren Hills to a Group 3 state title the following season. "The girls didn't have a lot of faith in themselves. I saw a lot of potential. 

"We had goals to see where we could improve from the defense all the way up to the forwards. Last season, we kind of soared as a team and asked how can we go further? We're all trying to learn and grow together. It sparks us to do better."

Sectional and state schedule

Tuesday, Nov. 9

(Times to be announced)

NJSIAA Public sectional finals 

Group 4

Phillipsburg (12-9) at Middletown South (17-4)

Eastern (21-2) at Kingsway (19-2)

Group 3

Randolph (18-3-1) at North Hunterdon (19-1), 2 p.m.

Moorestown (12-6-1) at Ocean City (20-2)

Group 2

West Morris (13-7-1) at West Essex (20-2)

Seneca (15-6-1) at Haddon Heights (22-0)

Group 1

Lenape Valley (17-3-1) at Shore Regional (23-1), 3 p.m.

Collingswood (13-6-2) at Woodstown (18-3)

Saturday, Nov. 13

NJSIAA state finals at Bordentown 

Non-Public, 10 a.m.

Group 2, noon

Group 3, 2 p.m.

Group 4, 4 p.m.

Group 1, 6 p.m.